Wassup 2008

Truly epic, and appropriate for the times.

Service: A Photo Essay

From "Service", a powerful photo essay on The New Yorker:

"This summer, the photographer Platon took pictures of hundreds of men and women who volunteered to serve in the military and were sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. He followed them on their journey through training and deployment, after demobilization and in hospitals, to compile a portrait of the dedication of the armed services today."

Here's part of the reaction from Colin Powell's appearance on Meet the Press commenting about the presidential race:

"I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life."

I meant to click through and briefly skim through all of this, but now it's got my full emotional attention. The photo essay is powerful on its own without this controversy, but Mr. Powell's remark adds some serious weight and gravity. A 20 year old man gave his life for something he believed in, and it matters not who he called his God.

Song of the Day

Anyone remember this one? Ēbn-Ōzn's "AEIOU Sometimes Y" had heavy airplay in the early days of MTV. It was an interesting twist at the time - basically spoken word set against a modern beat. And I always loved the "feeling cavalier" part.


"So I was walking up Broadway you know
and there's this incredible looking Swedish girl having a
Cappuccino across the street from Lincoln Center,
I started talking to her you know
She said her name was Lola,
Her English wasn't too good you know
but we wound up spending
about 5 hours together just hanging out you know.
So We go back to my place - we get high
we get really into each other man.
It was love about to happen ... I'm serious.
And then all of a sudden she gets up and she says,
she says "Hey, I really gotta leave"
Damn!

A E I O U Sometimes Y

There are 178 parent languages on our planet with over 1000 dialects...
It's amazing we communicate at all.
Languages and dialects - with this one thing in common:
A E I O U Sometimes Y

So you know I was really flipped out you know and she asked me
if I'm angry or something
I said of course I'm angry man this isn't high school or anything
You know so I'm feeling really cavalier and I say ah
"Call me if you want to."
huh, yeah ... call me if you want to ...
So she rang me up and she says, "Hey! Do you wanna go out?"
Huh! Do I wanna go out ?!"

Song of the Day

Ah yes, Billy Idol. I have a wonderful adolescent memory associated with this song, and I'm sure Mr. Idol would be proud. Ask me about it some time over a round of drinks ... on a warm summer night.

In the meantime, put on your best snarl, and start pumping that fist.

"I'm all out of hope
One more bad dream could bring a fall
When I'm far from home
Don't call me on the phone
To tell me you're alone
Its easy to deceive
Its easy to tease
But hard to get release

(Les yeux sans visage) Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage) Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage) Eyes without a face
Got no human grace your eyes without a face.

I spend so much time
Believing all the lies
To keep the dream alive
Now it makes me sad
It makes me mad at truth
For loving what was you

When you hear the music you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip.
Steal a car and go to Las Vegas oh, the gigolo pool.
Hanging out by the state line,
Turning holy water into wine
Drinkin' it down
I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip
Reading murder books tryin' to stay hip.
I'm thinkin' of you you're out there so
Say your prayers.
Say your prayers.
Say your prayers.

Now I close my eyes
And I wonder why
I don't despise
Now all I can do
Is love what was once
So alive and new
But its gone from your eyes
I'd better realize ..."

Picture of the Day

Cherries! I start to eat a few, but before I know it the whole bowl is gone. Then I wistfully daydream of the next weekend, when I can make my pilgrimage to the farmer's market and indulge myself again.

Cherries .. they glow red with excitement as they murmur "Summer is coming, oh summer is coming ...'

Biggest Drawing in the World

Artist Erik Nordenankar used a GPS tracking device and DHL to create a self portrait across the world. I haven't seen if this has actually been verified, but if it is true, it is truly an amazing feat. The power of artistic vision is something to behold.

Dear baby, if you are alive, please remember I love you very much.

In the aftermath of the Wenchuan Earthquake, this was the message rescuers found on a dead mother's cell phone. There's really not much I can say after that.

The full story can be found here or here.

Song of the Day

Apologies for the cheesy video - but it's the only one I can find for "Holy Lamb (Song for Harmonic Convergence)" by Yes. It is off their Big Generator album, which I have been playing all day long. Over and over again.

Even though it is a short and beautiful song, it packs a lot of power and inspiration. And it has one of the most amazing crescendos I have ever heard. As Jon Anderson puts it, it is a song about any belief that puts you at peace with yourself, others and nature. Enjoy!

"Holy lamb, see the world we started
Is it so low again?
Like a light that's lost upon the stage
So the more it shines, it goes away

Surely then, see the curtain rising to show us once again
All the magic of the earth and the skies
See the more we find
The more we realize

That every time, see the laws of nature keep telling us like a friend
Spirit of emotion dancing to the wind
High above, high above
So sure inspired again

I can tell a new story now
Can we see through this mask of uncertainty, surely now?
How can it be so hard when all there is to know
Don't be afraid of letting go
It takes a loving heart to see and show
This love for our own ecology

Hold the light! Hold the light!
Out of love we'll come a long long glorious way
At the start of every day a child begins to play
And all we need to know
Is that the future is a friend of yours and mine"

Song of the Day

George Michael's "Freedom" always brings out the positive energy in me. I just gotta get up and dance. Another video with great visuals, and yeah the models are an obvious one. Besides that, the usage of shadows and elements (fire, smoke, mist, ice is implied) are subtle and well done. And the facial expressions of the models tell stories on their own.

And in case you are curious, here's the list of the models in the video:

• Cindy Crawford
• Linda Evangelista
• Naomi Campbell
• Christy Turlington
• Tatjana Patitz
• Todo Segalla
• Scott Benoit
  
• Peter Formby

ABC3D: Incredible Pop-up Alphabet Book

I meant to blog about this last week (yeah right!) but my life has suddenly gotten very busy. And that's a good thing.

via Drawn!